Senator Lautenberg has passed ....

[alsame]

just breaking on my local news, no link yet.

RIP, Senator

ETA: here is a link

http://www.northjersey.com/news/national/US_Sen_Frank_Lautenberg_dies_at_xx.html

Sen. Frank Lautenberg died this morning of viral pneumonia at age 89, his office said.

The oldest member of the Senate, Lautenberg had struggled with health problems since late last year, when he missed several weeks of votes because of what he said was flu and bronchitis.

The death of Lautenberg, a Democrat who was the longest-serving senator in New Jersey history, creates a vacancy that Governor Christie, a Republican, will fill.

Lautenberg returned to Washington in February and announced he would not seek re-election in 2014, but hoped to complete a series of accomplishments before his term ended. He had a breakthrough last month on one of them, a bill to overhaul the law that regulates chemicals used in household products, when a bipartisan compromise bill was unveiled.

[shawn703]

1. Will be interesting to see who Christie appoints to replace him

Will he put in someone far right to appease the nutty base he will need for the primaries? Or someone closer to the middle?

[asjr]

3. He might use this to poke his finger in the Republican eye and

send a middle thinker.

[Mr. David]

2. Unconfirmed at this time.....

been looking at the local NY/NJ news as well as national news, and nothing has been released.

So I'm skeptical at this time.

[alsame]

4. I just added a link. nt

[Mr. David]

5. Thank you.

That's more than enough for me. RIP Sen. Lautenberg.

[midnight]

6. He provided us with no smoking flights....

Lautenberg is probably best known for his crusade against smoking, including a ban on smoking on airplanes enacted through a series of bills first adopted in 1989. He also battled repeatedly to prevent the privatization or de-funding of Amtrak.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/national/US_Sen_Frank_Lautenberg_dies_at_xx.html

[Arkana]

7. RIP, Senator.

Now the Republicans get a free Senate seat. Fuck.

[tabbycat31]

8. Not sure what the procedure is

But there will be 2 statewide offices on the ballot this November.

[Arkana]

9. Christie appoints an interim Senator, special election is held later in the year.

NJ law works just like MA law.

[illegaloperation]

10. What's the law for Christie's appointment?

Will his appointment be able to serve out the rest of Lautenberg's term or will there be a special election?

[BlueDemKev]

11. Damn.

There goes one Senate seat. Christie's replacement will undoubtedly be a Republican who will run for a full term in November 2014 with the advantage of incumbency.

RIP Senator Frank Lautenberg.

[TroyD]

12. 2nd Democratic Senator to Die in Less than a Year

The first was Senator Inouye of Hawaii. While both men were valuable members of the Democratic caucus in the Senate, it does remind us of the dangers of serving at such advanced ages.

In the case of Hawaii it did not affect the balance of power because the Governor is a Democrat, but could this lead to a Republican Senator in New Jersey now? If so, hopefully it will only be temporarily until Booker wins in 2014.

[book_worm]

15. My guess is that a moderate republican who has some statewide appeal

perhaps a female is nominated. They know they can't win with a flame thrower when an election is held.

[Tx4obama]

13. Some states have to appoint an interim senator of the 'same party' of the person that died...

What is the rule/law in NJ?

[Tx4obama]

14. Okay found some info ...

Only Arizona, Hawaii, Utah, and Wyoming has the law about the interim person has to be of the same party as the person that died/left.

http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/vacancies-in-the-united-states-senate.aspx

[book_worm]

16. I wish some of the older liberals on the Supreme Court would retire

so Obama can replace them while the Dems still have the Senate, which I doubt we will after 2014.

[otohara]

17. RIP

he was a good guy.

[craigmatic]

18. These old guys are fading away man. It's sad but at the same time he had a good run and did alot

for people.

[Cha]

19. Oh, sad. I remember him on tv talking about coming

back to run 2002 for the second time. He Served New Jersey and his country Honorably!
RIP

As for Christie's "Dilemma"..

Chris Christie's Lautenberg Dilemma Is 2013-as-2016 All Over Again

So, if Christie appoints a right-winger, he angers the Democrats he needs to be reelected. If he appoints a Democrat, which he probably won't, he infuriates the Republican base he would need in the 2016 Republican primary. But splitting the difference won't work, either. Salon's Steve Kornacki points out that appointing a non-controversial old Republican as a caretaker for the seat is not without risk. The last time a Republican New Jersey governor did that a Democrat won the seat. His name was Frank Lautenberg.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/06/chris-christie-frank-lautenberg-replacement/65826/

the whole aritcle is Interesting!

thanks alsame